20 KV sanctioned, 150 KV consumed in Lko’s Aliganj building: How did excess power use go unchecked
The building gutted in the Aliganj fire that claimed 15 lives was allegedly consuming between 100 and 150 KV load despite having a sanctioned electricity connection of only 20 KV, according to preliminary findings that have brought electrical safety compliance and regulatory oversight under scrutiny. A massive fire gutted a three-floor commercial building housing an animation centre at Aliganj area in Lucknow on Monday (Deepak Gupta/HT) The findings have raised questions about how the building continued operating despite the apparent mismatch between sanctioned and actual power usage. According to a senior official of the Lucknow Electricity Supply Administration (LESA), who spoke on condition of anonymity, the electricity connection was reportedly drawn directly from a low-tension (LT) line, whereas a separate transformer should have been installed considering the scale of power consumption. The official said the connection was obtained as a domestic connection in 2012 and converted into a commercial one only in 2022. He further claimed there was no No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Directorate of Power Safety, raising questions about how a large …
